Shih Tzu Size

We are a Shih Tzu Breeder of three sizes of Shih Tzu, mostly breeding the smaller size Shih Tzu Puppy.  There are Shih Tzu puppies referred to as Chinese Imperial Shih Tzu puppies, 3-6 lb. at maturity, tinies or small Shih Tzu puppies 7-9 lb. at maturity, and standard Shih Tzu puppies 10-16 lb at maturity.  The standard Shih Tzu is the correct size, most common and is the Shih Tzu breed standard in the show ring.

The early ancestors of the Shih Tzu were given to the emperors of the Chinese Imperial Court as gifts of great honor. Shih Tzu would lie across the feet of the Emperor and Empress, as they would take care of court business to keep their feet warm. At one time it was the fashion for the tiny Shih Tzu to be carried in their kimono sleeves to keep them warm and this is where smaller Shih Tzu gets the title “Imperial Shih Tzu”.

Imperial Shih Tzu do not seem to have any more health problems than any other well bred standard Shih Tzu. Imperial Shih Tzu are like premature human babies and some things just take longer to develop. Their soft spot takes longer to close than the larger pups, sometimes up to 6 months or longer and this can be normal for their tiny size. Their puppy teeth may take longer to come in. Imperial Shih Tzu often do not hit sexual maturity until over 1 yr old, and the testicles may not come down as early as the larger pups.

At birth a true Imperial Shih Tzu is not the “runt” and is most of the time the same weight or even larger than their litter mates at birth. It takes several weeks after birth to see a difference in their growth rates. While a larger Shih Tzu puppy’s growth continues the same, an imperial Shih Tzu’s weight slows down dramatically.  There is no sure way to know if a Shih Tzu puppy will stay small or have a growing spurt, but there is a chart to help determine  a puppy’s adult weight.

At 8 wks of age take the puppy’s exact weight and multiply by 3

10 wks X 2 and add a pound

12 wks X 2

The older the Shih Tzu pup the more accurate you can estimate its adult weight. Usually, the height your Shih Tzu puppy is at 6 months is the height you can expect it to stay. A Shih Tzu puppy can still gain weight from the age of 6 months to a year old. The above chart is just a guideline; you must take in to consideration the Shih Tzu puppy’s parents and grandparents weight.   It is not possible for anyone to know exactly what a Shih Tzu puppy will weigh at adulthood.